Results

Project

Sequence and cluster analyses on data from SHARE surveys (waves 3 and 4) compare family building trajectories for individuals from the birth cohorts 1927-58 (aged 50+ years in 2009).

The analytic strategy consists of two stages. In the first stage sequence and cluster analyses identify groups of people with similar early partnership and fertility trajectories over the 31 years observed (16-46 years of age).

The second stage explores the associations between the nine clusters identified and several characteristics of respondents’ core discussion networks in the later part of their lives, as well as exchanges of personal help with members of their core discussion network and beyond, as interviewed again in wave 4, when aged 51 or older (on average 66,5).